


The Immaculate Connection

by THRILLHO



Category: Dragon Ball
Genre: F/M, Melodrama, Pregnancy, Some attempts at humor, Trunks/Mai, Unplanned Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-23
Updated: 2021-02-10
Packaged: 2021-03-15 02:01:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28930698
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/THRILLHO/pseuds/THRILLHO
Summary: Marron is in for the surprise of her life when a routine doctor’s visit yields more than her pap smear results.Very loosely based on the CW show Jane the Virgin.Trunks/Mai in the beginning. Sorry, Trunks/Mai fans but every story based on a telenovela needs a villain.
Relationships: Trunks Briefs/Mai, Trunks Briefs/Marron, one-sided relationships - Relationship
Comments: 17
Kudos: 5





	1. Chapter 1

_ *Ping, ping, ping* _

Marron jolted awake to the series of ascending and descending tones coming from her phone.  _ What time was it? More importantly, where the hell am I? _

She jerked her head around and tried to figure out where she fell asleep. The mess of papers and empty mugs with sticky rings of coffee residue were a dead giveaway she was at her desk. The last thing Marron remembered was looking over a case file, one of the many cold cases she thought could always use a second—or fifth—look.  _ A murder, a victim without a name, no one to claim the body...Weird looking guy too...Animorphaline? But— _

“Ugh, kill me,” she muttered to herself as she felt her heavy head get pulled down by gravity. At the moment, it took far too much effort to keep her head above her shoulders. Whatever winks she got last night were not enough. Today was her day off and she wanted to throttle whatever past Marron set the alarm. 

It was for the best, she supposed. It was no good for her back or her complexion to fall asleep hunched over a desk with a piece of paper stuck to her forehead. The alarm at least woke her up so she could have a proper rest in bed.

Too tired to change out of her clothes, Marron walked the few feet to her bed in her cramped apartment and flopped face-first on her bed to catch those sweet Zzzs. It was no use, however. Her clinical mind wasn’t able to dismiss her alarm. Why did past Marron set an alarm? Part of her wished her brain would shut up, the other part never could resist a mystery. 

She should have checked her phone first instead of immediately turning off the alarm. Already grumpy, Marron wandered half-asleep back to her desk and picked up her phone where she left it after hitting the snooze button with pleasure. 

In big glaring letters on the lock screen, it read, “ _ GYNO APP AT 9AM!”  _ There was no way she could reschedule; Dr. Ruiza had the reputation for being the best and it was a miracle they scheduled an appointment for her on such short notice. According to Bulma, the doctor was also a renowned fertility specialist, making her appointments more coveted. 

“Shit!” Marron said. It was already 8:30, she hadn’t showered—a necessity for a gyno appointment—and still wore last night’s clothes. Those pajamas she bought started to look like a frivolous purchase. 

She guessed she would be flying to her appointment; there was no way she would make it through peak West City traffic by car. After a ten minute shower and thirty second costume change, Marron was out of her apartment and still wet reasoning that flying fast enough would dry her hair and the rest of her in time. Marron; however, was not like her Saiyan friends. It took a bit more effort on her part to fly, that combined with her lack of sleep and sustenance—she remembered the last time she ate was a bagel yesterday morning—-made her rather sluggish and she arrived only just in time to sign in, still wet.

Sitting in the waiting room, Marron willed herself not to fall asleep. It didn’t take the deduction of a detective to know it wouldn’t be a problem because the seats were uncomfortable as all hell; deceptively soft looking and rigid. The padding was almost non-existent! In any case, she didn’t go to the doctor’s office to fall asleep in the clinic’s chairs. She was due for an annual exam and needed the human resources department off her back.

She looked around the waiting room for a distraction; something to keep her brain going. For such an upscale doctor’s office, they seemed to put more effort into decor rather than patient comfort. There were exotic potted plants in every corner and even a tranquil waterfall fountain against the opposite wall. The gentle swishing and plopping sounds of moving water had such a calming effect on Marron that it would have put her to sleep  _ if  _ the chairs weren’t so horrible.

To not fall under the hypnotic spell of the fountain, she looked down at her feet only to see the intricate exotic hardwood flooring, triangles arranged together in geometric shapes.  _ Who thought that was a good idea?  _ It made her dizzy. Marron wanted to roll her eyes at the decadence but that would take too much effort. Her head still felt like a lead balloon. She only hoped the opulence indicated a good doctor. Dr. Ruiza came highly recommended by Bulma. She was the one to guide Bulma through her healthy, uncomplicated pregnancy at age forty-seven.

“Marron?” The sound of her name being called made Marron jump up in alertness.  _ Damn, was I really about to fall asleep again?  _ An assistant holding a few folders stood in the doorway leading to the exam rooms. 

“Yes?”

“Good morning.” The petite woman smiled and nodded at her. “Follow me, please,” she said. “So how are—?”

They were only a few steps into the hallway when she was almost knocked down by a purple and brown blur. What stopped her from reacting with physical intimidation was that she recognized the ki.

“Trunks? What are you doing here? You don’t have a vagina!” She blurted out before he could get past her. She was going to blame her lack of tact on lack of sleep when Goten would inevitably bring it up.  _ No, he wouldn’t actually, because he’s never going to hear about it. _

“Marron!” Trunks turned around when he realized he was there. He gave her a tight smile, more of grimace. It didn’t suit his sculpted face. “Sorry! I’ve got to get into the room!” he said and rushed away with little regard for his old friend.

“Mr. Briefs!” the physician’s assistant called after him. “You are violating all sorts of privacy laws!” She walked after him as fast as her little legs would carry her but then took a run at Marron. “I’m sorry, miss, but I have to stop him. Can you go to…” she paused to open the chart to check something, “room five and leave your chart in the compartment next to the door? Don’t forget to undress and put on the gown,” she said handing Marron a file labeled “M567”. The assistant didn’t wait for a response as she rushed to catch the lavender haired menace. Marron shrugged, she was way too exhausted to think much of her family friend rushing into her gynecologist’s office. Her dad would be so disappointed; he would love to find out why Trunks was there when she told him the story. She found room five and left the chart as she was told to do.

It wasn’t her first trip to the lady doctor and she did what she was supposed to. It was a little unnerving that someone like Trunks could burst into their exam rooms while she was exposed with her feet in the stirrups. She tried not to think too badly of them. There was nothing they could do to stop a Saiyan hybrid—and the richest person in the world—but at least they were trying.

Unlike the waiting room, the exam chair was plush level comfortable and Marron sank into the reclined seat even with her feet in stirrups and closed her eyes, telling herself she was just resting them. She wasn’t worried about falling asleep, everyone knew doctors took a long time to see patients and Marron would be woken up by the sounds and all the touching.

Minutes later, or was it seconds? Marron heard the door click open but she couldn’t quite stir to consciousness. She remembered responding with “Uh huh, yeah,” or “Nuh uh, no,” to everything she was asked but she couldn’t quite grasp what was going on. Lack of food and sleep did that to her. It was the snap of gloves coming off that made Marron open her eyes to full scope.

“Okay, all done!” Even though she should have minutes ago, Marron got her first look at the renowned Doctor Ruiza; a middle-aged brunette with thick glasses and pulled back hair that did nothing to contain the fizziness. The doctor scribbled some notes in the chart. “Any questions or concerns?” she asked, still focused on writing her notes and not her patient.

“Um, all good down there?” Marron did not want to admit she slept through it. 

“Oh yes, you’re perfectly healthy as I said. Cervical mucus is top notch. I’d say the best for the circumstances. It’s probably for the best if you stay in that position for a while for a greater chance of success. Anything else?” she said and shut the chart. Her bespectacled gaze met Marron’s and although the woman’s face exuded warmth, Marron felt ashamed to waste the doctor’s time when  _ she  _ was the one that fell asleep.

“Um, no?” It wasn’t as if Marron cared too much, no news was good news and that meant she was clear and Linda from HR would have nothing to say to her until next year.

“Okay, good. You might experience some light bleeding or cramping, typical of a pap smear. You should have had one before, right?” Marron nodded. “If you continue to feel pain until tomorrow, give us a call and we’ll get you checked out right away,” Dr. Ruiza said and moved to leave.

_ Pap smear! That’s what she was doing down there!  _ Marron felt way less worried about falling asleep during her exam. “When do I get my results?” Marron said. That was a fair question.

“I would check after your first missed period and if that doesn’t show a positive result, we’ll discuss other options.”

_ Positive as in good for me or positive for cancer cells?  _ She wanted to ask but her mouth acted stupid and wouldn’t say the words. Whatever the case, the soft chair worked its black magic and she knew she was dozing off again...but the doctor said that was okay...Dare she think it? This chair was more comfortable than her bed. 

“My assistant will come collect you in forty-five minutes and then you can go, Mai.”

_ Forty-five minutes? Hell yes, _ Marron thought. “Sounds wonderful,” she said, her brain working again to make sounds come out of her lips. After this, she planned to go to her favorite bistro and go to town on some comfort foods. She let that thought carry her off into a wonderful catnap.

* * *

_ Trunks’ morning _

He experienced a night so restless that the morning was a relief despite the lack of sleep. He could find things to do to distract himself from the anxiety he was feeling instead of lying awake at night with only his intrusive thoughts for company. One such distraction was breakfast.

He sat at the table with his large meal somewhat untouched asking himself questions. What if this first step didn’t work? What if the next one didn’t either? He had everything else he could possibly ever want, great parents, a precocious little sister, more money than he could ever spend, and most importantly Mai, the love of his life. He didn’t know what it was about that woman but ever since he had first seen her, she gripped his heart and never let go. Knowing her since childhood didn’t even deter him as they got older, it all fell into place. Every little thing he did, he did to make her happy.

There was a problem, however. Trunks was not used to wanting and not having. Despite all the trying, he and Mai still weren’t able to have children, but he desperately wanted one; a little girl that looked just like Mai. She would be his little warrior slicing galactic lizard space tyrants in half. For the first time, there was tension in their marriage. Mai wasn’t against having children but he couldn’t hide his disappointment in every negative pregnancy test and he could tell Mai took it as a failure on her part.

After all these years, his breath still hitched and his heart stopped beating whenever he caught sight of her. “Good morning,” Mai said, striding into the kitchen. She came in beautiful and glowing, the enigmatic smile on her face, worry free and free of lines in her expression. Trunks was surprised by her chipperness, had she forgotten their important meeting this morning? He knew  _ he _ was nervous though he tried not to be in case the stress affected the quality of his sperm. 

“Ready for today?” Trunks said.

“Why wouldn’t I be?” She smiled but the skin on her face turned taut, her jaw making itself more pronounced. 

“Hey, losers!” Before he could inquire further, a bratty voice interrupted the husband and wife’s would-be conversation. The blue-haired teenager ignored them aside from her insult and went to pour an entire box of cereal into a serving bowl. She settled herself in the breakfast nook next to Trunks, chewing obnoxiously in his ear..

“Why are you lookin’ at each other like that?” Bulla said with her mouth full as she looked between Trunks and Mai.

“No reason.” Trunks gave her a small smile. He envied but did not begrudge her charming and carefree life. If anything he wanted to do the most to preserve it for his little sister for as long as possible. “Do you need a ride to school?” he asked her. Her presence was a welcome distraction in the face of all his anxiety and stress. At least he could focus on her instead of his difficulties. It would be worth it though, he told himself, he may get a child out of it.

“Nah, dad said he’d take me. You know how I love his bouts of road rage, puts me in a fighting spirit for arguing with the professors,” Bulla said and continued to dig into her massive helping of cereal. “You can pick me up though, my friends like it when you do.” Bulla winked at him. Trunks sighed. He was a married man and Mai never did appreciate Bulla’s ‘playful’ attempts to set him up with other women. “There’s a young professor in the engineering department, she is sooo smart too!”

“No luck finding a boyfriend? You know you can get one for yourself instead of your professor,” Mai said. Trunks shut his eyes and cringed, he loved his wife but why did she have to antagonize Bulla?

Bulla laughed but it was for more the sake of making the sounds instead of genuine mirth. “I have plenty of years for that. Getting my PhD is my priority,” Bulla said, a sweet smile on her face. “I would be so embarrassed not to have a life aside from my significant other. Some would say it’s pathetic.”

“Okay! That’s enough!” Trunks interjected before anything else could be said. “Bulla, finish your cereal. Let me take you to class anyway. I’ll tell dad.” He began to grab his jacket and collect his things. “I’ll meet you at the—uh—place later!” he said to Mai. Bulla at least listened to him and ate her cereal with gusto and followed him out but not before sticking her tongue out at Mai.

“If Mai goes to ten why do you have to go to one hundred?” Trunks said to Bulla once they left the house.

“What did I do?” Bulla said and slid into the passenger’s seat of Trunks’ luxury coupe, “I only shared my opinion on my ambitions, a boyfriend is not one of them. Besides, I don’t trust her, I never have. I’m counting on her to slip one day.”

“Yes, Bulla, we know!” Trunks rolled his eyes at his sister’s conspiracy theories. She was a genius but she had a blind spot when it came to Mai. Ever since Bulla had been a baby she had smiled and giggled at everyone, that is, except Mai and her cohorts. She would scream and cry if they even came near her. God forbid they tried to hold her either; Bulla’s Saiyan instincts made it a trip to Dende. But Bulla was no longer a baby, she was capable of thought and reason now. “I love you but you’re such a brat when it comes to Mai. Even dad has warmed up to her, why can’t you?”

“Is this why you’re giving me a ride? To try and convince me of her? Mom tries too. IT. DOESN’T. WORK,” she said.

“You were declared mature enough to attend grad school, Bulla. Don’t you think you’re being more than a little ridiculous?” Trunks said. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could put up with his sister's disdain for his wife, especially if—no,  _ when _ they had a child. “Mai has never done anything to anyone.”

“Did you not just witness her trying to embarrass me at the breakfast table?” Bulla frowned. Trunks’ eyes were on the road but he dared a peek at his sister’s frown and downcast eyes. “It’s not like I can date anyone, daddy’s a jerk, all the guys I know are so much older on paper—”

“I admit, that wasn’t great,” Trunks said as he navigated through the early morning traffic. “But you didn’t have to call her pathetic or insinuate she was stupid.  _ You _ started it this time. Besides, we’re working on Mai’s full-time role, you’ll see.” He didn’t want to divulge the entire plan in fear of jinxing anything.

“Being your on call prostitute is already a full-time job,” Bulla said. Trunks took a deep breath willing himself to ignore that. “I think I deserve some credit. I’ve compromised a lot.”

“You not ruining my wedding isn’t a compromise, that’s the bare minimum of how you’re supposed to act at someone’s wedding.”

“Whatever,” Bulla mumbled. They were close to the university anyway and Bulla hopped out once they reached the campus. “I’m going to be hanging out with some people after so don’t worry about picking me up. I’ll find my way home somehow,” Bulla said before disappearing into the crush of students dashing to their next classes. Trunks shook his head, she was just as Saiyan as he was, he needed to remind himself. She would be fine; it’s not like the little brat couldn’t fly anyway if she didn’t have a ride. He did want to question her about who she was hanging out with; the people in her program were adults. The youngest had to at least be in their mid-twenties. Why would they want to hang out with a sixteen year old girl? He knew she didn’t look sixteen and that worried him, particularly when it came to the opposite sex but he’d have to look into that later, after the stress of today was over.

He checked his watch and noted the time. Traffic was bad right now but it was fine, the appointment was about an hour away. Timing was everything though and Trunks had been preparing for five days.

“Time to whack out that baby juice, I guess,” Trunks said to himself as he shifted gears and made his way to Dr. Ruiza’s office. She was a good doctor if a little scatter-brained. 

Just as he made it out of the university’s vicinity, his phone had started to ring. Looking at his car’s dashboard screen, he saw it was Mai. Trunks felt his heart leap into his throat. Was she having second thoughts?

He accepted the call and heard Mai’s voice reverberate through every inch of his car. “Trunks, darling?”

“Yes?” he answered, still nervous about what she might say. Did she cancel the appointment?

“Honey, I just got a call from Dr. Ruiza’s office. They said it might save time if you bring your sample here instead of doing the deed at their office.”

Trunks was relieved; she didn’t want to back out after all.

“Are you sure transporting it will be fine? And why at home?” He was hoping for the greatest chance of success and to him that meant as little time as possible between the deed and the insemination.

“Yes, but it’s been a  _ long _ five days, don’t you want my help?”

Indeed, he did. He smirked, figuring her all out.

“So capsule that car and come over,” Mai said in her most seductive voice. “Just make sure you take it over as soon as possible so they can have it prepared before I even get there. I’m counting on your Super Saiyan speed here,” she said before she ended the call without a goodbye.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It’s been weeks since we last checked in on our protagonists and finally something is coming up for Marron...her career!

The manila file folder shoved under her nose was new. She could tell by the fresh woodsy smell that the older musky folders in storage did not have. “Marron, take a look at this,” Egan said. He gave her no choice but to be his second set of eyes, not that he would ask in the first place. 

Her report could wait a few minutes, she supposed. A man in his mid-sixties, Egan was far more senior than her—a bit of a legend—and she felt flattered with a flip of excitement in her stomach every time he came to her as a second set of eyes.

“Zeni? Yen? Banknotes?” she said as she flipped through the few pages there. It was some sort of test, she knew, how much could she ascertain from what little info was gathered; Egan hadn’t done this in a while though, not since she was on her hot streak. “Drug residue on the bills?” she thought aloud. “No...there’s no lab reports,” she muttered, analyzing the information as she was processing it. “Money laundering…? But the amounts are too small...” Then it clicked and she took her eyes off the file to see Egan’s barely there smirk; he never had a real smile. “Counterfeiting,” she said and shut the file. It was like her mentor to set her up for disappointment. “Isn’t that under the purview of Earth Special Forces?” The lightness in her stomach from the anticipation of a new mystery turned to lead and she sunk back in her chair. Not that it helped; her back was killing her. 

“Indeed it is,” he said, taking the file back from her. “But that’s only if they know about it.” He winked and tapped the side of his nose with his index finger. 

“Yeah, but it’s such a small thing for us to chase down,” Marron reclined in her seat, trying for a respite from the pain she tried to hide. of Egan was as good of a detective as she thought he was, he would notice. The action did little to make her more comfortable, the chairs in the squad room were notoriously hard and did nothing for lumbar support. At twenty-five, her back was giving her problems already, probably due to the stupid old chairs or how she often slept in one. “Unless,” she pulled forward in her seat, “you think this is a big, widespread operation.” Excitement was starting to bubble over inside her again; the lead butterflies in her stomach were in a flurry. As a kid, she dreamed of some big take-down just like in the films she watched. In her adult life, she found her detective work relegated to small fish. Her mood quickly deflated, however, when she realized just exactly who got to deal with the ‘big fish.’

“Then we definitely have to turn it over to special forces,” she said. “They’re the ones who handle the big kids.”

“As far as I see it, West City is our jurisdiction.”

“You mean, these haven’t crossed regional lines?” she said, grabbing the folder back from him.

“And we’re not investigating if the bills are fake, we’re all about seeing where they’re coming from in our fair city.”

“A loophole, but I’ll take it,” Marron said. “You haven’t told anyone else about this, have you?” she said, making sure to drop the volume of her voice. There were a few young men in their precinct out to make names for themselves and would step over one of the few female detectives to get it. “Does Chief know?” 

“‘Course he does,” Egan said. “You can’t get anything past that old man.”

“Isn’t he actually younger than you?” Marron said. She could shoot the shit with him but she did have reports to finish before she allowed herself to chase this new case. But just because Egan told her about it, didn’t mean he wanted her on the case. “So counterfeiters,” she whispered before he could get a word in about the age comment. “Are you bringing me in?” she said.

“No,” was his stone-cold reply.  _ He is  _ **_so mean_ ** _ getting my hopes like that!  _ Marron felt a sour stomach and tasted acid in her mouth. She would not let her jaw drop. She made sure to clench it tightly, hoping he wouldn’t see the shock or hurt on her face. It was no good to be a woman in a squad room and show ‘soft’ emotions. It didn’t help that tears were springing behind her eyes. She had rougher career disappointments before, she didn’t know why this one was making her more upset than usual. Despite her jaw clenching efforts, her lips still trembled.

“Oh, lighten up,” he said, whacking her on the shoulder with the folder and tossing it on her desk. “I’m _giving_ you the case.” 

Marron let her jaw drop this time. In her stomach, she felt a whirlwind of thrill, dizzying almost queasy.  _ It’s excitement! _ She was never assigned anything like this but she could only bask in the opportunity he gave her for a short while before she turned to Egan. Remembering herself and who she was, she put her guard up. 

“Why would you do that?” she asked. He earned his reputation for a reason and it wasn’t because he handed over important cases to up and coming gumshoes. 

“I see something in you,” he said. What struck Marron though, was that he didn’t look sincere; he looked a little guilty as if he was hiding something. One would think such a seasoned investigator would have a better poker face.

“You’ve exhausted all your leads and can’t go farther with it,” Marron said.

“The fact you deduced that means you’re the right woman for the job,” he said, clapping her on the shoulder. “Finish your reports and don’t take on any more cases. I already cleared it with Chief, we want most of your attention on this one,” he said before he left to his own desk, leaving her to try and recline in her crappy chair in satisfaction. “Oh, and take care of your back. Sleep in your bed for once.” Marron shook her head. He was the best. 

Not one to count her cases before they were solved, Marron tried to rein in her enthusiasm. Sure, the case could be taken away from her at any moment once Earth’s Special Forces got wind of it but at least this was  _ interesting.  _ It felt great helping regular people  _ but  _ there wasn’t much action and adventure in finding guys fencing stuff stolen from big corporations which were what mostly ended up on her desk.  _ This  _ would be thrilling,  _ this  _ would get her noticed, make her parents— _ Oh god!  _ She thought as she ran towards the toilets. She chalked up the creeping nausea and lightheadedness to getting her first real opportunity at a big case that she ignored it until it came up her throat. Unfortunately, that meant having to hold vomit in her mouth until she made it to a toilet stall.  _ How am I even throwing up? I haven’t eaten anything yet! _

“You didn’t eat that sushi in the fridge, did you?” a familiar voice from outside her stall called out to her. “Terwilliger left it there last week, no one’s wanted to touch it.”

“No, Rose,” Marron replied, feeling weak. Vomiting out her organs was an exhausting business and she pretty much crumpled onto the bathroom floor, too put out to stand. She did not have time—nor the care—to latch the stall door and was greeted by the sight of the red head’s divine legs. “I wish I looked half as good as you do in my twenties as you do in your fifties though,” Marron said, trying to lighten the mood. 

“You alright, then?” the older woman asked her in concern and crouched to her level, ignoring the compliment. “You don’t feel warm,” she said as she touched her temperate hands to Marron’s face. It was comforting in a way, like her dad would do when she was too unwell to go to school. “Any other symptoms?” 

“I’m not dead, you have no business doctoring me,” Marron said. “Don’t you need to get back to the stiffs?” 

“They’re not going anywhere,” Rose said, giving Marron a small smile. “Either way, you should get off the floor. I shouldn’t need to tell you bathroom floors are disgusting,” she said. “Is this your only symptom? Maybe you should go home. You could be contagious.”

Marron knew the pathologist was right and if she did have a contractible disease, she had no business being at the precinct. Every officer and detective had to pass a physical and were relatively healthy and could handle a stomach bug but that didn’t mean the people they intersected with day to day had no health problems. The flu could do in someone’s grandma or kid. She decided to cooperate. “My back is killing me,” she confessed. “But I think that can be chalked up to the horrible chairs. Body aches are common with the flu too, no?”

“Maybe you should call it a day?”

“Honestly,” Marron said as she began to get up, ignoring Rose’s hand for assistance. “I think it could just be really bad PMS. I should be riding the crimson tide soon; I’m a little late actually, come to think of it.” Something rang in Marron’s head. Her gynecologist said her pap smear would make her miss her period and that’s when she should be getting her results. She’d have to ring up Dr. Ruiza’s office on her lunch break.

“Yes, that does sound like particularly bad PMS,” Rose agreed. “Does that happen often?”

“There’s a first time for everything,” Marron said as she went to wash her hands in the sink; no need to take whatever was on the floor around with her. “I think that pap smear I got a month ago triggered it. My doctor did say I would miss my period.”

“That doesn’t sound like any pap smear I’ve heard of…” Rose trailed off looking worried. “Are you sure you can’t be….?”

Marron wasn’t dumb, she knew what vomiting and a missed period looked like and she let out a snort. “Pregnant?” She laughed. “Trust me, Rose. I’ve been celibate for a year now.” That was less funny to Marron and she cleared her throat and straightened up. “I think we can rule out immaculate conception too.”

* * *

“Have your periods been regular?” the bespeckled doctor asked Trunks’ stiff wife sitting next to him. It hadn’t been easy for either Trunks or Mai to see that negative sign on the pregnancy test, and off to Dr. Ruiza they went in the hopes it was a false-negative; it wasn’t.

“Um, as regular as I ever was,” Mai said, looking a little green. Maybe Dr. Ruiza’s test was wrong too, Trunks thought with a flicker of hope. Nausea was a symptom of pregnancy, everyone knew that.

“We split your first sample, Trunks, in case we wanted to try it again but we’re looking at a twenty percent chance of success—”

“The same as before?” Trunks said. He was the one taking the reins here. Mai was quiet with her lips pursed in a thin line. She wanted this as much as he did—he was sure of it—but poor Mai blamed herself. He reached over to squeeze her hand that she kept flat on her lap but there was no response from her cold hands.

“The same as before,” the doctor nodded. “What we could try next is IVF—that’s about a forty percent rate for women under thirty-five—but we would need to prep Mai before we harvested her eggs—”

“Would a fresh sample of mine be better?” He couldn’t help interrupting the doctor every time she relayed a new piece of information. It was the doctor’s good nature—or perhaps experience with anxious couples—that kept her from snapping at him.

“Perhaps, but I don’t think it’s necessary, we got a very good sample from you the first time around, Mr. Briefs. If you would like to use a new sample it would be the same deal as last time,” she peered at him knowingly, “and in that case, what would you have us do with your original sample?”

Trunks remembered the celibacy and how he was deprived of his beautiful wife for a week. He wouldn’t go through that if he didn’t need to. “Uh, no, then. The first one is fine to use, I guess...if you think so.” 

“I must warn you that this process is far more invasive,” she said to Mai. “The process involves you coming in every other day for ten days for hormone injections to stimulate the ovaries and we’ll be doing intravaginal ultrasounds to monitor your ovaries before the eggs are retrieved.” It was worth the extra twenty percent to Trunks. It doubled their chances! But it wasn’t his body and Mai still looked pale and green, not as hopeful as her husband. Morning sickness? He’d buy another test on the way home. “Then we would give you local or general anesthesia, I’d guide the needle through your vagina to the ovary where I’ll suction some eggs.” Trunks wasn’t a woman but he crossed his legs imagining his body going through that. “These procedures aren’t without their risks either. You could develop ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome from the hormone injections and in the rarest of cases it can be fatal.” 

“Then no way!” That’s all Trunks needed to hear to shut down the idea. He looked to his wife whom he had spoken for to see she wasn’t sitting so stiffly anymore and she even squeezed his hand back, giving him a small smile.

“We’ll try the insemination again,” Mai spoke for the first time.

“Very good,” Dr. Ruiza smiled at them.

* * *

Mai’s years as a spy made it easy for her to sneak out of Capsule Corp without Trunks noticing. It wasn’t like she didn’t know the place from top to bottom having spent years there sniffing out good hiding spots for their clandestine activities. The one she worried about was Bulla. The sixteen year old was more suspicious than she had any right to be. When Mai was that age, she was more preoccupied with learning weapons systems and how to read maps. Bulla ought to learn to keep her nose out of things, Mai thought. Still, Mai could slip by the precocious teenager. She had a good fifty years of spy experience under her belt and Bulla was no match for that, Saiyan or not.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo! Where are the Trunks/Marron peeps at? This ship needs more love.


End file.
